Following the Cabinet and ministerial reshuffle and the election of Select Committee chairs and their members, Brevia Consulting has compiled a list of the key political stakeholders in relation to transport policy.
DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT
Secretary of State for Transport – The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Responsibilities:
- oversight of all areas
- Northern Powerhouse
Grant Shapps was appointed Secretary of State for Transport in 24 July 2019 following Boris Johnson’s leadership election victory. Mr Shapps was previously Chair of the APPG on General Aviation and a proponent of expanding Heathrow.
Minister of State – Chris Heaton-Harris MP
Responsibilities:
- rail
- East West Rail
- Cycling and walking
- Cross rail and Crossrail 2
- accessibility
- corporate
- Northern Powerhouse
Chris Heaton-Harris was appointed as a Minister of State at the Department for Transport on 25 July 2019. He was previously a Government Whip.
Minister of State – Andrew Stephenson MP
Responsibilities:
- HS2
- Northern Powerhouse Rail
- Transpennine route upgrade
Andrew Stephenson was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Transport on 13 February 2020. He was previously Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Responsibilities:
- roads and motoring
- buses and taxis
- devolution
- housing
- light rail
Baroness Vere of Norbiton was appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport on 23 April 2019.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Rachel Maclean MP
Responsibilities:
- EU transition and future relationship
- future of transport
- transport decarbonisation and environment
- secondary legislation
Rachel Maclean was was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport on 14 February 2020. She was elected MP for Redditch in 2017.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Kelly Tolhurst MP
Responsibilities:
- aviation
- maritime
- security and civil continegencies
- Commons and shadow roads
Kelly Tolhurst was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport on 13 February 2020. She was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industiral Strategy from from 19 July 2018.
HOUSE OF COMMONS TRANSPORT SELECT COMMITTEE
Huw Merriman MP was elected Chair of the Committee on 29 January 2020. He had previously served as a member of the committee since September 2017. He was first elected as the Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle in May 2015.
Mr Merriman has said he would like to use inquiries to look at ‘long term transport projects such as HS2 and Heathrow; consider the enrivonmental, economic and community costs; and forensically probe the performance of government departments, agencies and industry.’[1]
Ruth Cadbury MP is the Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth. She was a member of the Transport Commtitee between October 2018 and November 2019. She has campaigned to stop Heathrow expansion.
Lilian Greenwood MP previouslychaired the committee between July 2017 and November 2019. She also served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport from September 2015 to June 2016. She was elected as the Labour MP for Nottingham South in May 2010.
Simon Jupp MP was first elected as the Conservative MP for East Devon on 12 December 2019. Mr Jupp has said he wants to use the platform to secure ‘fair funding’ for Devon and the South West.[2]
Robert Largan MP is another newly elected Conservative MP representing the constituency of High Peak. Mr Largan is supportive of HS2 and is campaigning for the Mottram Bypass to relieve traffic congestion around Glossop.[3]
Chris Loder MP became the Conservative MP for West Dorset in December 2019. Before becoming an MP, Mr Loder was head of New Trains at South Western Railway. Throughout his career in the railway industry he worked as a station assistant, a guard and as Head of Service Strategy for South West Trains. He is campaigning for improved local transport networks on buses and trains.[4]
Karl McCartney MP is the Conservative MP for Lincoln. He previously represented the constituency from 2010 until 2017. During this time he served on the Transport Select Committee. He stood to be Chair of the Committee this time round and received 48 votes.
Grahame Morris MP was first elected as the Labour MP for Easington in 2010. He previously served on the Transport Select Committee between February 2018 until Parliament was dissolved for the December 2019 general election.
Gavin Newlands MP is the SNP Spokesperson for Transport. He has been the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North since May 2015.
Greg Smith MP is also part of the new cohort of Conservative MPs. He was elected the MP for Buckingham on 12 December 2019. Greg Smith has campaigned against HS2 and the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway calling them ‘environmentally destructive, costly and unnecessary projects’.[5]
Sam Tarry MP was elected as the Labour MP for Ilford South at the December 2019 election. Prior to becoming an MP, Mr Tarry was a political officer for the transport union the TSSA. Mr Tarry is also the President of Chair of the think tank the Centre for Labour and Social Studies.
BREVIA CONSULTING PROVIDES STRAIGHTFORWARD POLITICAL ADVICE AND SUPPORT TO BUSINESSES AND ORGANISATIONS
Discover how Brevia can help you and your organisation by contacting the Brevia Transport Team on 020 7091 1650 or contact@brevia.co.uk
[1] Parliament.uk, Huw Merriman MP is the new Chair of the Transport Select Committee, 30 January 2020, link
[3] Robert Largan MP, Investing in local road and rail capacity, link
